Sgt Reckless
by LesterWanted
Summary: Not a real story, college project, please no reviews!


What do you think of when you hear the word hero?

Do you think of firefighters, police officers or the many men and women who have served this country in a time of need?

Now think about what all of these people have in common, they're human. One of the many unsung heroes that we saw in the Korean War were not people but horses. The most commonly recognized out of these many equine war heroes is Sergeant Reckless.

She was purchased in 1952 for 250 dollars almost 2000 dollars today. Reckless had a highly decorated and successful career, being recognized by LIFE as one of America's 100 all-time heroes. Giving birth to 4 foals before her death, it is said her line still runs in Camp Pendelton's equine war partners.

Sergeant Reckless was chestnut colored with a blaze and three white stockings. Her date of birth and parentage are unconfirmed, but she was estimated to be around three or four years old when she was purchased by members of the United States Marine Corps in October 1952. She was sold to the Marines by her owner, a young Korean stable boy, nicknamed Moon. The horse was originally named in Korean, and translated to "Morning Flame" or "Flame-in-the-Morning", also said to be the name of her dam, a racehorse at the track in Seoul. Moon sold the horse, whom he had nicknamed "Flame," to Lieutenant Eric Pedersen for $250. The horse's breeding was thought to be primarily Mongolian though she did have some features, particularly the shape of her head, that were similar to horses of Thoroughbred lineage. She was small, standing only 14 hands and weighing 900 pounds.

In October 1952 Pedersen received permission from Colonel Eustace P. Smoak to purchase a horse for his platoon. Based in mountainous terrain, Pederson needed a pack animal capable of carrying up to nine of the heavy 24-pound shells needed to supply the recoilless rifles used by his unit, the Recoilless Rifle Platoon of the 5th Marine Regiment. The day after he received permission, Pedersen, Sergeant Willard Berry, and Corporal Philip Carter drove a jeep with a trailer to the Seoul racetrack. At first the Marines renamed her "Recoilless", after the primary weapon of the platoon. That changed to "Reckless" after the platoon's nickname, "Reckless Rifles."

Her primary trainer and the person Reckless was closest to was platoon Gunnery Sergeant Joseph Latham. Pedersen had his wife ship a pack saddle from their home in California so Reckless could better fulfill her primary role as a pack animal. The Marines, especially Latham, taught Reckless battlefield survival skills such as how not to become entangled in barbed wire and to lie down when under fire. She learned to run for a bunker upon hearing the cry, "incoming!" The platoon called it her "hoof training" and "hoof camp".

The horse was initially kept in a pasture near the encampment. Reckless had a gentle disposition and soon developed such a rapport with the troops that she was allowed to freely roam about the camp and entered tents at will, sometimes sleeping inside with the troops, and even lying down next to Latham's warm tent stove on cold nights. She was fond of a wide variety of foodstuffs, entertaining the platoon by eating scrambled eggs and drinking Coca-Cola and beer. Food could not be left unattended around her. She was known to eat bacon, buttered toast, chocolate bars, hard candy, shredded wheat, peanut butter sandwiches and mashed potatoes. However, Mitchell advised the platoon that she not be given more than two bottles of Coke a day. Her tastes were not confined to foodstuffs; she once ate her horse blanket, and on another occasion ate $30 worth of Latham's winning poker chips.

Reckless's baptism under fire came at a place called Hedy's Crotch, near the villages of Changdan and Kwakchan. Though loaded down with six recoilless rifle shells, she initially "went straight up" and all four feet left the ground the first time the recoilless rifle was fired. When she landed she started shaking, but Coleman, her handler, calmed her down. The second time the gun fired she merely snorted, and by the end of the mission that day appeared calm and was seen trying to eat a discarded helmet liner. She even appeared to take an interest in the operation of the weapon. When learning a new delivery route, Reckless would only need someone to lead her a few times. Afterwards she would make the trips on her own. Her most significant accomplishment came during the Battle of Panmunjom-Vegas (also known as the Battle of Outpost Vegas/Vegas Hill) over the period March 26–28, 1953, when she made 51 solo trips in a single day, carrying a total of 386 recoilless rounds (over 9,000 pounds, carrying 4 to 8 24-pound shells on each trip) covering over 35 miles that day. The whole Battle of Vegas lasted 3 days. She was wounded twice during the battle: once when she was hit by shrapnel over the left eye and another time on her left flank.

Randolph M. Pate, then the commander of the 1st Marine Division, gave Reckless a battlefield promotion from corporal to sergeant in a formal ceremony, complete with reviewing stand, on April 10, 1954, several months after the war ended. She was also given a red and gold blanket with insignia. Reckless was promoted again, to staff sergeant, on August 31, 1959, at Camp Pendleton, CA. This promotion was also awarded by Pate, who had by then advanced to Commandant of the Marine Corps. Pate personally presided over this promotion ceremony and she was honored with a 19-gun salute with a 1,700-man parade of Marines from her wartime unit. She was an early example of an animal holding official rank in a branch of the United States military. For her exemplary service to the Marine Corps, Reckless was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation with bronze star, the National Defense Service Medal, a Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Korea Medal, a Navy Unit Commendation, and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. She would wear these awards on her horse blanket.

Reckless was well cared for and treated as a VIP during her time at Camp Pendleton. The Marine Corps was also careful not to allow her to be exploited by commercial interests.[35] She produced four foals there: colts Fearless (1957), Dauntless (1959), and Chesty (1964); her last foal, a filly born circa 1965–1966, died a month after birth and was unnamed.[2][3] Her offspring Chesty was named after Chesty Puller, one of the few Marines ever allowed to ride Reckless.[3] Puller was a Marine Corps lieutenant general and the most decorated United States Marine of all time.[36] Reckless retired from active service with full military honors at Camp Pendleton on November 10, 1960.[3][20] She was provided free board and feed in lieu of retirement pay, per Marine Corps documents.[32]

Reckless developed arthritis in her back as she aged and injured herself on May 13, 1968, by falling into a barbed wire fence. She died under sedation while her wounds were being treated. At the time of her death, she was estimated to be 19 or 20 years old. There is a plaque and photo commemorating her at the Camp Pendleton stables. The first race at Aqueduct racetrack, New York, was designated "The Sgt Reckless" on November 10, 1989. In 1997, Reckless was listed by LIFE magazine as one of America's 100 all-time heroes. A statue by sculptor Jocelyn Russell of Reckless carrying ammunition shells and other combat equipment was unveiled on Friday, July 26, 2013, in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, one day before the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. There is a lock of her tail hair in the base of the statue.

Horses hold a special place in the hearts of country folk like me, but there are certain horses who worm their way into everyone's heart. Horses that capture the true American spirit, Reckless was just such a horse. War hero, food extraordinaire, and American favorite.


End file.
